KB Home joins other newly announced Tuscan Lakes builders, D.R. Horton Homes and CastleRock Communities. Established community builders are Newmark Homes, Meritage Homes, Wilshire Homes and Coventry Homes, as well as custom builders Harbour Classic Builders and Masterpiece Custom Homes.

Office, sales back to speed after Ike repairs

Work has been completed on the renovation of the Pirates Beach office of Prudential Gary Greene, Realtors after Hurricane Ike devastated Galveston Island.

While the office did not suffer the major structural damage that many other businesses and homes did, office manager Lois Robinson says she used the post-storm real estate slowdown as an opportunity to rejuvenate the property. Renovation included repainting the exterior, installing a new roof and refurbishing the landscaping.

Immediately following the storm, real estate sales slowed, but the business was enhanced by long-term home rentals, since many whose homes were ruined and damaged needed housing. In addition, clean-up crews and contractors arrived in Galveston by the dozens to repair homes and businesses. Those people also needed housing, so the long-term rental business flourished, Robinson says.

One year later, sales have picked up, she says. In addition, the vacation rental business also has come back. Immediately following the storm, many vacation rental homes were damaged and unavailable. “In Galveston, vacation rentals and real estate sales go hand in hand,” Robinson says. “People come to Galveston to enjoy a weekly beach home rental and the next thing you know, they want to buy a house. Then people who buy houses may want to put their house in our vacation rental pool. It’s a very symbiotic relationship.”

Robinson says her office’s sales have grown every month since the storm.

“We’re glad last year is behind us,” she says.

Woodforest adds to builder line-up

A South Montgomery County development has added Highland Homes to its list of builders.

With construction on a model home scheduled to begin this month, Highland is offering 13 plans in Woodforest, including two new designs. Plans will range from 3,000 to 4,300 square feet with base prices from the $280,000s. The builder is currently operating out of the Woodforest Welcome Lodge. A project of The Johnson Development Corp., newly opened Woodforest surrounds Woodforest Golf Club in Montgomery County.

In addition to Highland, D.R. Horton and Newmark, Woodforest builders include Pulte Homes and Plantation Homes.

Construction begins on Edgewater marina

Construction of a marina began recently in Edgewater, a Bay Area community located off NASA Parkway.

Project developers say the marina, which is being built in stages, will be equipped to accommodate powerboats as large as 50 feet and will provide access to Clear Creek. Amenities planned for the facility include a restaurant, an open-space park with a covered pavilion and a promenade along the shoreline.

With several marinas in the Bay Area maintaining waiting lists for boat slips larger than 30 feet, the Edgewater marina will be a welcome addition for boaters, says Bob Douglas, the community’s general manager.

“With boat owners waiting months to find space to dock their boats, our marina will meet pent-up demand and also provide a prime location,” he says.

At the Edgewater marina, boats will be parked in a cove near downtown Webster, the central business district of the Bay Area, Douglas adds.

“If boat owners live in Houston, they can reduce their commute by as much as 20 minutes in each direction, on every trip to their boats.”

Edgewater also will have a 35-acre preserve along Clear Creek, which will include boardwalks through its wetlands.

Survey says foreclosures impact whole community

A recent study states that foreclosures, especially when clustered, affect entire communities economically, emotionally and psychologically

A survey was conducted by market research company Mustel Group and sponsored by BasicGov, a Web-based software used for municipalities’ community planning processes. It reported that of 150 municipal mayors, managers and code enforcement officers in the United States, 80 percent feel the foreclosure crisis resulted in an increase in citizen complaints over the past year. The most frequent complaints, according to respondents, were overgrown yards (87 percent), property damage (61 percent) and garbage dumping (47 percent).

Eighty-eight percent of respondents did not plan to increase staff to manage the problem, and 60 percent said they did not believe it was clearly known who was responsible for maintenance of those properties.

Other studies have also reported that several foreclosures can result in economic hardship for neighbors and businesses. A study by Fannie Mae in 2006 claimed that one foreclosure listing within an eighth of a mile of a home could reduce its property value by 0.9 percent. Another study in Chicago valued the decline from one foreclosure at $1,870 per property within an eighth of a mile.

D.R. Horton to build

in northwest community

Home builder D.R. Horton has announced plans to build in the Cypress community of Bridgeland.

The builder is offering homes from the $170,000s and is starting work on 13 inventory homes. Eleven designs ranging from 1,549 to 2,650 square feet will be offered in the development’s Briar Cove neighborhood. Many of the designs are new for D.R. Horton, says Carl Magill, a sales representative for the builder. Each home is built to Energy Star standards, he says.

The builder has 72 home sites planned. Magill says he expects the large number of inventory homes and home sites to sell quickly.

“We are building aggressively in Bridgeland,” Magill says. “It’s an incredible neighborhood and we expect sales to be strong.”

Bridgeland was recently named Master-Planned Community of the Year by the National Association of Home Builders and Houston’s Best Planned Community of the Year by the Sales and Marketing Council of the Greater Houston Builders Association.

Residential complex complete in River Oaks

Construction is complete on a 423-unit apartment complex known as La Maison at River Oaks.

Chuck White, vice president and division manager of Cadence McShane Construction Co., says the 447,764-square-foot complex is comprised of adjoining four- and five-story buildings. Developed by ZOM Inc., the 5.3-acre site is located at 2727 Revere St.

Cadence McShane has also completed a clubhouse, business center and recreational facilities and a six-level parking structure. RTKL Associates Inc. provided architectural services.